Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao arrives in Los Angeles Monday night for a series of promotional tours that will bring him to New York and Texas after a kick off press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Pacquiao was mobbed by boxing fans who wanted to have their autographs signed by the pound-for-pound king inside the Los Angeles International Airport. Pacquiao's arrival created a mild commotion inside the airport as photographers and press people took turns in taking photos of the neophyte congressman from the Philippines.

Pacquiao willingly obliged to request for photographs and autograph signing but his escorts and security aides whisked him out to a waiting convoy. Pacquiao remains popular not only among boxing fans but to other people who followed his phenomenal and meteoric rise to stardom. Pacquiao is facing Antonio Margarito of Mexico in a junior middleweight fight on November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas. From Los Angeles, Pacquiao will proceed to New York on Wednesday and then to Arlington, Texas on Friday for the continuation of the press tour and a meeting with Jerry Jones, owner of Cowboys Stadium. "Dennis Guillermo wrote in his Examiner news release, "Whether you like his match-up against Antonio Margarito or not, if you're a real boxing fan, there's no way you're missing Manny Pacquiao's next fight". "Whether you love him or hate him, or simply dislike the loyal and rabid fan base that rolls with him, you can't deny the fact that The Pac Man is THE MAN in boxing until someone knocks him off or he retires".

"Just check the news, the Internet and everywhere else they report boxing.. it is as a matter of fact, all about Pacquiao. Even the whole witch hunt for Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s whereabouts is about how he has avoided Pacquiao".

Pacquiao is returning to Manila right after the press tour to attend to his work as congressman representing his district in southern Philippines.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Manny Paquiao vs. Antonio Margarito fight is now official, after the last hurdle was cleared on Thursday, when Antonio Margarito got his boxing license in the state of Texas after being revoked by the California State Athletic Commission several days prior.

Bob Arum and HBO will host a three-city press tour for next week, starting on Tuesday August 31 at Beverly Hills (media only), followed by a stop in New York (open to public) on Wednesday at Chelsea Piers – Pier 60 (23rd St. & The Hudson River, New York, NY 10011) beginning at 11:30 AM ET, and finally the tour will end on Friday in Texas (open to public) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (900 East Randol Mill Rd., Arlington, TX 76011) beginning at 11:30 AM CT.

The Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight will be on November 13, 2010 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, broadcast by HBO PPV, tickets will go on sale soon, announcement will be made during the press tour.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Speed, no doubt, will again serve as Manny Pacquiao’s biggest weapon once he steps up in the ring and faces Antonio Margarito three months from now.

And Freddie Roach doesn’t see the Filipino boxing superstar losing the 12-round fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title against a sluggish, slow-footed opponent.

“Manny will start fast with this guy, and we will finish with him fast," said Roach.

Ever since invading the welterweight rank, Pacquiao has bewildered just about anybody he met in the ring, from the great Oscar De La Hoya to the ordinary Joshua Clottey.

“I couldn’t handle his speed," said former two-time world champion Miguel Cotto after suffering a brutal 12th round technical knockout against Pacquiao, a sentiment he shared with the rest of the Filipino’s ring victims.

Roach sees Margarito joining that list.

“He (Margarito) is a big, strong guy. I’m not overly worried about him. I’m not a big Margarito fan. Manny will have too much for him," said the Hall of Fame trainer.

Margarito’s size – the Mexican stands 5-foot-11 – and the weight where the bout will be fought are the only concerns Roach is thinking about.

While he would like the Nov. 13 duel to be fought at the welterweight limit (147), Roach said a catch weight would probably be insisted by the Margarito camp.